In Another Life
by SuperSabrichitason
Summary: It was destiny. No matter what the circumstances were, they will end up together. What if! everything's the same but Marie was raised by her father's family.
1. Prologue

**A.N: I got this idea when I read a question on VampireMeerkat's tumblr asking what would happen if Marie was raised by her father's family (To know more about that search in her wiki). So she answered that Marie would grow up to be a well-behaved aristocrat girl, and that she will end up with Edd regardless. Obviously the well-behaved part could be questionable with her sisters' influence in this story, so that's a thing. **

**Anyway, enjoy the story! (ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE SO PLEASE GO EASY ON MY GRAMMAR)**

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**Prologue**

***Lemon Brook, Eighteen years back***

The wind was strong and unstoppable, and the soft rain was leaving drops of water everywhere. A young redhead woman, barely entering her twenties, was walking through, on her way to the manor on the outskirts of the city. Her will was stronger than the weather, so she kept walking.

Her worn out shoes were a pain, and her coat wasn't so much of a help against the wind, but at least was useful at protecting the two living things she was carrying in her arms. She held the umbrella closer to her body. Luckily her babies were sleeping. Or so she thought until she felt those kicks inside her belly. Well, almost all her babies.

Plan B didn't work, so now it's time for plan C, even if she wasn't sure whether would work or not. Although she new little of Bubba's life before she met him, at least she could gain some valuable information, beside catching the slimy rat cheating on her with a harem of women he was living off. Her first boyfriend was a jerk, but at least he taught her how to do some pick-pocking.

She found out that 'Bubba', her second boyfriend, wasn't even his real name. More like Bobby Juna, only heir of a family of barons and baronesses. Well, now he wasn't the only heir, but she will make sure his family knows that.

She made it to the big gates that separated the land from the rest of civilization. And just in time, because the already grey sky was getting darker with the night. Lucky for her, there was a guard on a hut beside the gates. She got closer and knocked on the window. The man in there looked up, and seeing the young woman's face, with traces of beauty hidden by tiredness and exhaustion, got out quickly with a flashlight in hand.

"May I do something for you, ma'am?" he asked worriedly.

The woman held back a grimace. She hated being looked down with pity, but now she needed to choke throw away her pride and focus if she wanted to get this done.

"I need to speak to the Baron. Tell him it's with extreme urgency." She grinned a little. "He's gonna like what I have to say to him."

"You expect me to believe the nonsense that a pauper like you speaks?" Laughed the Baron once gathered in reunion.

They were on the Baron's office for meetings, the young woman sat on a sofa, rocking the girls hidden by a blanket covering her arms to avoid getting unfortunate attention, or well, to avoid that the girls could see something that could upset them to let out the faintest of sounds. Since she met the man in front of her, she could see why her ex lover ran off from home; the man, who seemed to be in his mid fifties, was an unpleasant person, with total lack of esteem for those who were in the lower class. Well, at least he had some manners, making his insults sound a bit less offensive. The Baron's wife, who seemed a lot younger than him, maybe in her mid thirties, had been standing on a corner of the room all this time in silence, though watching the interaction with caution.

"It's the truth. Your son had been living the life on pubs, seducing women and being with many of them at the same time, always behind their backs." She replied with the calmest voice she could speak, although on the inside her calm and patience were crumbling down, wanting to scream this man all the things she could think of, not even caring if he was a noble or not. She couldn't stand Rod's sexism, much less this man's.

"My son had made a mistake by running away from home, I can admit that. We are making all we can to find him. But you are saying that he was in an area that we already have search in, and committing such vile acts? That is preposterous!"

"Maybe you're not doing a really good job looking for him, _sir_!" Her voice raised enough to disturb the girls in her arms, specifically the little one, who started to whine. The Baron turned to her with annoyance, words ready to let out. Although, before he could do it his wife spoke up.

"Aw… A baby." She said with the sweetest voice the young women had heard. She walked to her, smiling to the bundle she was carrying. The young woman stilled when the Baroness pulled the blanket back to see the little toddlers; a redhead girl, about a year old, who watched her with fearful eyes, clinging to her mother's chest and another one smaller with blue hair, who was the sobbing at this point. "They are so adorable." She murmured.

The Baron, on the other hand, didn't look moved by the toddlers at all. "That is the reason you have come here? You expect me to give you money for this information?"

"No." She turned to the Baroness in front of her. "I've came here 'cause your son left a legacy."

She used the hand that was holding her eldest daughter to pull back the blanket all the way from the two. The Baroness gasped, reaching out yearningly to take the little one in her arms and getting her closer while rocking her arms to soothe her cries.

"Your son made a fool out of me and left me a daughter. I already had one and I have another one on the way now. You'd understand that it'd be difficult for me to raise all three of them in the conditions I live in. And I also think that you'd understand that without your son, you can't keep on with your lineage. You need this child."

The man was visibly mad and gritted his teeth upon the move that the young woman had made on this game. He walked to his wife, who was making faces to the baby, trying to make her laugh. He watched the girl closely, she certainly have some of his father's looks, but it was difficult to notice them with the color of her eyes and the little spots on her cheeks which she clearly had inherited from her mother. But there was one feature he could not ignore, and that was the blue hair.

"What did you say your name was, young lady?" He asked not looking away from the baby.

"Bebe Kanker, sir." She answered with a serious look on her face, while on the inside she was feeling satisfied by getting a reaction out of him.

"Kanker… Are you by chance related to Lord Kanker?" he questioned. "I sincerely do not remember if she had a daughter."

Bebe breathed in. "I'm a bastard child."

"Ah, I see. An illegitimate child. Well, I am most certainly satisfied to know my son had the decency to mix his blood with someone illegitimately from a noble family."

He seemed pleased, so she wasn't going to ruin it by telling anything about the probably other children Bubba had helped to procreate. Not even that her own father didn't know about her existence and that she only took his last name to tick her mother off.

"Well, I decided to have mercy on you and keep the child. You do not have to worry about her never again."

That doesn't sound good.

"Wait, what?" she got up from her seat, holding her eldest daughter with one hand.

"Isn't this what you wanted? A problem less? A mouth less to feed?" He questioned with annoyance.

"Ok firstly, she isn't a '_problem_'. And secondly, yes but… I'll let you guys raise her under conditions…"

The Baron and Baroness now were looking at her, the woman still rocking the baby.

"And would those conditions might be, if I may know?"

"I still wanna see her… At least once a month — I'm her mother after all. And that her siblings have the chance to grow up together with her."

The nobleman seemed to consider it for a minute, and then nodded.

"Very well, your demands will be answered. Now if you excuse me, I need to contact my lawyer to write the adoption contract you will be signing." And with nothing left to say, he walked out from the room, leaving the two women alone.

Bebe didn't know what else to do, other than fixing her eldest daughter's curly hair, who started to talk a little for attention once the Baron's frightening presence was out of the room.

"She is so adorable." She hear the Baroness say. She turned just in time to see her sitting down on by her side on the sofa. "They both are."

She didn't know what to say, so she just thanked her.

"Especially my granddaughter, little… Oh, excuse me, what is her name?"

Bebe gave the first genuine smile of the night. "Marie."


	2. Chapter 1

***Lemon Brook. Age: Thirteen* **

An alarm went off, interrupting her precious dreams. The sound was so insistent that, with a groan, she reached out to turn it off. The blue haired girl barely in her adolescent years, rolled over on the bed, getting comfortable and hoping to go back to her dream. Unfortunately, that couldn't be.

She heard footsteps getting noisier with each step along the hallway and sighed. Five, four, three, two…

The door of the big bedroom opened, and a woman around her twenties, wearing a maid outfit, black hair tied up in a bow and a sympathetic smile on her face came in.

"Wake up, Miss Marie." She went directly to open the balcony's curtains, letting the sunlight in. "Remember, your grandfather doesn't like you being late for your lessons of the day."

Marie pulled the blankets aside and got up, with that action, the maid immediately went to make the bed.

"I can do it myself." She said weakly, with the faintest British accent, trying to make the bed herself.

"Don't keep me from doing my job, Miss." Grinned the maid.

Marie sighed again, leaving her to go to her personal bathroom. "I already told you to only call me by my name, there's no need for formalities." She leaned in front of the sink, splashing her face to wash off the sleep, and then brushed her teeth.

"Well, if I do so, it will become a habit, and that will get me in trouble with your grandparents. You're supposed to be my superior."

The girl returned, drying her face with a towel. "Abby, you're not superior to me. I'm the youngest here; I'm not superior to anyone."

"Yet your grandfather doesn't believe so. And speaking of him; He's waiting for you to join him to breakfast in the patio in ten minutes." She walked to the door, but before exiting she turned back. "By the way," she smiled. "Happy birthday."

The bluenette grinned a little before the maid was gone. She went to her boudoir to sit in front of the mirror and started to brush her long and tangled hair, which reached the middle of her back. Honestly, she might prefer it short so it would be easier to keep it tamed and styled, but she knew her grandfather would never allow it; well-respected ladies must have their hair long.

When she finished, she made sure to style it to the side so that her bangs could cover her right eye. Then, she went to her closet to pick her outfit for the day. She frowned, staring at the pastel color dresses. Once again, this was because of her grandfather, this time backed up by her granny, saying that brighter and darker colors were meant for an older age. Pants were reserved only for cold days and shorts were only used as leisure, just like any kind of shirt. And this was when her grandfather wasn't home.

She picked a sleeveless violet one that went down to her knees, dressing quickly she put on some ballet flats and walked out from her room, going to the designated place for breakfast this morning. When she got there a trail with the most important meal of the day was waiting for her on the table, where her grandparents were also seated, her granny already eating while her grandfather was reading the morning paper.

"Good morning." She greeted.

Her granny immediately stood up to hug her. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart!" she exclaimed before taking her face in her hands. "I swear to God, you are turning every day into a beautiful young lady. I just want that the day of your coming out party to come; they will look at you twice every time they see you!"

"You know there are years to come until that day, Linda." Her grandfather spoke up, also standing up and patting her in the head. "Happy Birthday, dear." He said, gesturing to her to sit down. "I'm afraid you have to wait for your present until dinner tonight."

"It's alright, grandfather." She sat down and started to feast on her breakfast. "I just can't wait to spend all day long with my sisters."

"That also must have to wait until you finish with your lessons for the day."

Marie made a pout. "Even if it's my birthday?"

"You were the one who wanted your studies to have the same academic schedule as a normal school. By what I know, a day of class is not postponed by a mere birthday." He saw she went to protest. "And before you say anything," He interrupted. "No, you are not going to an academy with other students." The girl whined in response. "We already talked about this, Marie; our lineage is one step close to royalty, we can't mix with peasants, much less you being our only heir."

"Lee and May don't belong to nobility yet you don't keep me from being with them." She murmured while frowning.

"That is different; you share blood ties with them. Plus it was your mother who decided that you must grow up together and we agree as we owe her. If it wasn't for her bringing you to our lives, we would never have allowed it."

She was silent as she crunched down in her seat at the mention of the mother. She hadn't seen her in years and she hasn't visited either. Her sisters assure her that it was because she worked on many places and that kept most of her time, but Marie knew there was more behind that, and she had the feeling that it was because of her.

"Good posture, sweetie." Reminded her granny, softly.

Marie sat right on her seat and proceeded to finish her breakfast so the she could start her daily lessons. Many governesses taught her since very little age, so one could say she knew advanced subjects in her young age. That, and plus she had read every book she could find in the manor, whether it was because she had to or because she was bored. Although she didn't care much about her studies, neither learning certain languages like French – her grandfather thought it would go perfect with her name being French and all – but she still does it because it was what's expected from her.

When she finished pass 3 p.m. she grabbed a sketchbook alongside a pencil and eraser, also her MP3 player with its headphones that she managed to get her hands on thanks to her sisters by secretly giving them the amount of money to purchase it when they went to town, and with all that, she went to the backyard. She moved a little far from the manor but close enough to have a good look of the fountain. She sat under a three, making sure that there was nothing that could mess up her dress, beside the grass of course, before sitting down and placing her sketchbook against her knees. She turned on the MP3 player, putting on her headphones and started to draw the landscape before her. She was in the middle of it when a tiny but strong projectile made impact on her forehead, startling her. Her headphones fell of her ears by the abrupt movement and she took a hand to said place.

"Nice shot, May!" She heard, followed by giggling.

She looked up to see her older and younger sisters, Lee and May, both containing their laughter and approaching her. She sat right in her place, looking for the object that had been thrown at her, finding out that it had been a little pinecone.

"Seriously, you imbeciles?!" Every trace of etiquette and good manners were vanished when it was just her and her sisters. She got up; taking the chance to throw the pinecone right back at them, but her sisters dodged it rather easily.

"That pinecone was the size of a pebble! You're turning weak, Marie, you need more Kanker strength in ya!" her older sister laughed

Marie dusted off her dress and knelt down to pick up her things. May ran for hug. "Happy birthday, sis!" The blue haired girl smiled and hugged her back. Lee also joined the hug, ending it with a strong pat on her back, making her squeal in pain and draw back.

"One down, twelve to go." She said, hand still in the air.

Marie rolled her eyes and sighed out loud; her younger sister just snorted and proceeded to do as her older sister. That's what they did on every birthday since they started to play a little rough, ever since that fatal day.

After they finished to smack her in the back twelve times (though Marie was sure she counted more than that), the three of them took it upon themselves to spend the rest of the day together, getting all dolled up with makeup and ballroom dresses Marie had kept just for them. When they were ready, making sure the coast was clear; they built a slide out of blankets on the stairs that went to the attic, the farthest away from her grandparents' presence, and knowing full well that if a servant were to walk on them, they will not say anything. Grabbing an old mattress, they rode it down the stairs, and giving zero care in the world if their dresses got ruined.

That was the joke in this game; looking like people from nobility, but acting like savages. They even dared to put May in a box (after losing rock, paper, scissors), secure it so it won't open and pushed it down the stairs, the blonde haired girl in the box screaming all the way down when the box crashed against the stairs and walls. Laughter echoing through all that.

When dinner time came, the three sisters sat awkwardly with the Baron and Baroness in the big hall, this was because Marie's sisters needed to watch their table manners in front of them. There almost wasn't any room for conversation, other than occasional questions from the Baroness to the Kanker sisters like how everything in their lives was going and how was their mother. After dinner was over, the Baron rose up from his seat.

"Granddaughter of mine, I believe the time for you to receive your presents has come." He said, gesturing to one of the servants in the room, who walked out and returned with a painting canvas with a red bow on it. Another servant had a big box, which just by looking at the front one could guess it contained some painting materials. "We have noticed your interest in art so we decided to give you the rightful elements for it."

The blue haired girl rose from her seat, gaping, and walked to the men holding her presents. She touched the materials softly and smiled.

"I love it. Thank you so much." She turned her smiling face to her grandparents, bowing a little. "Could you take these to my room, please?" she asked the men, who nodded and walked out of the room.

"If you want, we can assign you a teacher-"

"That won't be necessary." She joined her hands in front of her, replying quickly. "I have in mind to evolve on my own way, by my own. Now that we have finished dinner, if you excuse me… Lee, May; let's go upstairs, we'll have dessert in my room."

Not needed to be told twice, her sisters rose up as well as fast as they could and followed the girl to the stairs. When entering her bedroom, Marie waited for both sisters to walk pass her before slamming the door behind them and leaning over it, sighing. May went directly to inspect the canvas placed in front the balcony.

"It looks really nice." She murmured. "Why you didn't want a teacher?"

The bluenette scoffed. "You've already seen what I can do. I don't need some guy telling me what's art and what's not. But I can't wait to use that baby." She grinned enthusiastically.

"Honestly. It's hard to compete against your granddad's presents." Said Lee, crossing her arms.

"What're you talking about?" snapped Marie. "I already told you, you don't need to get me anything, having you here is enough."

"Awww" drawled out May, making them both laugh.

"Leaving the mushy stuff aside; we do have a present for you, but it's not from us."

Marie gave her a strange look, watching as May picked up a backpack and Lee took out a notebook. She extended it to her.

"It's Mom's." She explained while the bluenette reached out to grab the notebook, turning the pages, seeing that they were all blank. "She said she wouldn't like to be locked up all day and she would go crazy if she couldn't express what she's feeling. Since we can't be here all the time, and talking to someone else isn't a good idea, she said that it'll be better to write down your thoughts in here. You can do whatever you want with it, paint it, put some photographs, you name it."

Marie reached the back cover, finding a photograph of the three of them along with their mother. It was old, and was taken when she turned five. She smiled sadly, holding back tear that threatened to escape her eyes. She swallowed the knot in her throat.

"This is so… thoughtful."

She stared at the photograph, pursing her lips.

"Want a hug?" asked May.

She couldn't answer with words, so she nodded. Both sisters embraced her, and the tears were finally rolling down her cheeks.

"I miss her." She mumbled, trying to soothe the sobs that wanted to escape her mouth.

"We know."

They stayed in the hug for a while before breaking it. Marie quickly cleaned her tears with one hand. "I just wish she would visit at least once."

"You know she has a lot of work." Said May, quickly. "She's barely in the trailer. More so now that we've moved to Peach Creek"

"Oh, that's right." Smiled the bluenette. "You still haven't told me about that."

"Hoho, you're gonna like this…" Said Lee.

At this point, the three changed into their pajamas.

"…And when we went for a walk around the neighborhood; we saw them."

"The most perfect men in the world." Sighed May with a dreamy look on her face while putting on some curlers.

Marie raised an eyebrow at that, turning to Lee.

"They were three boys." She clarified.

"Ah." Her sister nodded.

"And there was this hunk; so tall and handsome!"

"They were yelling out something," added Lee, painting her nails red. "Well, the short one was. But guess what? We'd found you the perfect boyfriend." She smirked.

Marie laughed out loud, falling back and almost crushing the laptop opened on one side of the bed. "You know I can't have one of those." She managed to say. "What were their names?"

"Well…"

"They were Eddy, Double D, and my Big Ed." Answered May, taking both hands to her face.

"Double D is the one for you." Said Lee.

"Double D?" She tilted her head. "That's a peculiar name."

"I think it's a nickname; we only saw them from far away, we didn't speak to them." Explained the redhead.

"Hmm…" Marie leaned back on the bed. "If you say the other two are called by a variant of the name "Ed", short for "Edward", the most logical think is that Double D has two D's on his name, and thus the nickname."

"That makes sense."

"Such a know-it-all like always, you're meant to be. You're gonna love this boy; he's pretty cute."

"Ha! I'll be the judge to that." She turned to the laptop, typing in it. "Next time you see them make sure to get a photo. In the meantime, you ready for a Ryan Gosling movie?"

"Oh oh! Put that Notebook one!" said May, taking a seat beside her on the bed.

Lee took a mental note on what her sister had said, sitting on her other side. Oh, she will get her a photo, even a full profile if she wanted. She couldn't care less about the rules in her sister's life; she deserved to live a normal teenage life. Whether she like it or not.


End file.
